How to Find What You’re Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani (out Sep. 14): Ari sees things a little differently. The frustration she deals with daily because no matter how hard she tries, and she does try, she cannot get the physical act of writing to work for her. By the time she gets her hands to do what her mind asks, she’s forgotten her train of thought. Working at her parent’s bakery is good and sometimes she writes poems, but Ari’s sister Leah takes the time and has the patience to help Ari. It’s 1967 though and the world is changing fast. Loving vs. Virginia ends all race-based legal restrictions on marriage, but for the Goldman family, the complexity of interracial love shakes the foundation of their family. A compassionate view into a family coming to terms with change, change in the way disabilities are seen, change in the way we embrace or refuse to embrace family, and all through the eyes of a wise old soul with love in her gaze. -Linda

Paradise on Fire by Jewell Parker Rhodes (out Sep. 21): Adaugo, Addy for short, has never been in the wilderness, never been on a plane, and her obsession with always knowing escape routes has made her a bit of a loner. Her grandma thinks it’s time she tested those wings inherent in her name, so she enrolls her in a summer adventure program with five other Black city kids. In the mountains of Paradise, California, she finds her wilderness spirit, loves the feel of her hiking boots on the ground and expands her mapping skills to help the owner of the camp with the work he does for climate scientists. On their last backpacking excursion, the Paradise fire breaks out and Addy has to learn to trust her own skills as well as those of the crew with her. The devastating effects of climate change and the limitations imposed on urban poor kids, particularly kids of color, is wrapped into a story that will leave you breathless, cheering and totally in love with these characters! -Linda

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki (out Sep. 21): In any but the masterful, compassionate hands of Ozeki, this young boy’s quest to understand questions of love, loss, freewill, our relationships with things, and the place of story would be daunting, but this book guides like the smoothest of dancers in the most difficult dances: hold lightly, follow the lead, and enjoy. Benny Oh and his mother, Annabelle, are trying to deal with the death of Benny’s father, but there is no place for grief in the chaos of bills, technology, and the excess of things. The library gives Benny some relief; there are people there who understand the pull and danger of the chaos and the books that try to give it meaning and order, but Benny and Annabelle each must navigate their stories in order to find their path. A brilliant book of wisdom to help us navigate the complex trials we face with a reminder to believe in the power of story. You will fall in love with this book and Ozeki. -Linda